So, what is literacy? Is it being able to combine letters to create words, being able to decipher the connecting of letters to read a written language, or is it being able to understand the meaning behind the collection of words? If the meaning of literacy combines these three, can it be said there are other areas of literacy?
Today's American culture is saturated with sources of media. Media was at one time print on paper, then it moved to words and pictures, after pictures came motion, then the motion became interactive. Now websites include articles, polls, blogs, videos, forums, chatting, and more. Are our students still able to decipher the messages? Media Literacy is the term that refers to this skill, and is defined by David Considine in the Journal of Media Literacy (1995) as "The Ability to Access, Analyze, Evaluate, and Communicate information in a variety of format including print and nonprint."
This video talks about media literacy as well:
Now not only do you have to be able to read the information and understand what is in print, but you must be able to access the information to begin with, analyze the content and evaluate whether is it pertinent and reliable, then communicate with others the meaning of what is being researched from a multitude of sources and mediums.
It seems to me students and professionals of today must recognize the difference in our current atmosphere and put in the effort to minimize false or erroneous sources and information. Until then the work of being literate is still before them.
References:
Considine, D. (1995). An introduction to media literacy: The what, why and how to's. Telemedium, Volume 41, Number 2. Retrieved from http://www.ced.appstate.edu/departments/ci/programs/edmedia/medialit/article.html/
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